New Apple-Corning Innovation Center & $2.5B Investment Boost Kentucky Jobs

Apple is deepening its partnership with Corning Inc. at their Harrodsburg, Kentucky plant. It will become the exclusive global supplier of the cover glass. The cover glass serves as the front protective glass for all iPhones and Apple Watches. Apple is committing US$2.5 billion for this project. Production capacity at the Harrodsburg plant will be tripled. Additionally, the workforce will increase by about 50%, going from ~350 to ~500 employees. The goal is to have all the cover glass exclusively manufactured there by the end of 2026. This includes glass for iPhone and Apple Watch. 

Besides, the Harrodsburg facility will be fully devoted to Apple’s needs for this component. Contrarily, they will also open a joint Innovation Center at the plant. Engineers and scientists from Apple and Corning will work together on advanced material development. They will also collaborate on process R&D. Corning Inc. announced plans to triple production capacity at its Harrodsburg plant. Comparatively, it will increase the workforce there by 50%. This move deepens its relationship with Apple that began when the original iPhone launched in 2007. The Harrodsburg plant made the glass for those first iPhones.

Apple’s $2.5 Billion Investment Makes Kentucky Plant the Hub for iPhone and Apple Watch Glass Production

Emphatically, Apple has put its vast financial muscle behind the project, announcing recently it was making a $2.5 billion commitment. This will enable Corning to produce all the cover glass for the iPhone and Apple Watch. By and large, Production will take place at Corning’s plant in Harrodsburg, a central Kentucky town of more than 9,000 residents.

It is part of a massive commitment announced by the tech company last month. They plan to increase their investment in American manufacturing. This initiative won bipartisan praise from both Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

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Generally, Corning executives and selected employees spoke to reporters at the plant on Friday. Apple CEO Tim Cook visited the Harrodsburg factory earlier in the day but did not participate in the media event.

“We are transforming the plant once again. We are combining Corning and Apple’s expertise. This combination allows us to produce 100% of the cover glass for the iPhone. It also produces the cover glass for the Apple Watch,” Corning Chief Operating Officer Hal Nelson said Friday. “Together, we are building a next-generation U.S. manufacturing platform to deliver … high-performance materials for Apple’s iconic products.”

Cook said last month in a news release that the teamwork between Apple and Corning will result in the largest production line ever created for smartphone glass. It will be the most advanced.

“Thanks to the power of American manufacturing, any customer anywhere in the world who buys a new iPhone will have precision glass. American manufacturing ensures this quality. This precision glass is made right here in Kentucky. The same applies to those who purchase an Apple Watch,” he said.

Since Apple is deepening its partnership with Corning Inc. by the end of 2026, the Harrodsburg plant will manufacture all the cover glass for the iPhone. It will also produce the cover glass for the Apple Watch. Nelson said this on Friday. Corning’s Kentucky plant will be totally devoted to manufacturing for Apple, Corning said.

Markedly, Apple’s $2.5 billion commitment for the production, Corning said the details are “proprietary” to the two companies. The commitment will include revenue, technology and development teams, and “new advanced manufacturing process development,” Corning said.

Corning is based in Corning, New York. The company says its markets include optical communications, mobile consumer electronics, and display products. It is also involved in the automotive, solar, semiconductor, and life sciences sectors.

Concerning backing up Apple’s financial commitment with its own investment, Corning said it continually invests in its facilities. Corning will also “continue to invest what we need to support Apple.”

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Apple and Kentucky Plant to Launch Innovation Center, Boosting Jobs and Community Growth

With an eye toward the future, the two companies will open an innovation center at the Kentucky plant. This center will bring together scientists and engineers for world-class research and development, Nelson said.

The Harrodsburg plant currently has nearly 350 employees. The workforce is expected to rise to at least 500 due to the Apple announcement, Corning said.

Longtime plant employee Tommy Shirley said the factory had “ups and downs” through the years. However, the deepening ties with Apple will be a “huge shot in the arm” for plant workers and the community.

“We’ve prayed for this,” he told reporters. “We wanted stability for our employees. We wanted expansion.”

Shirley, a maintenance worker, has deep family ties to the plant. His grandfather helped build the factory in 1952. His father started working there in 1964, and Tommy Shirley followed in his footsteps starting in 1989. He brimmed with pride Friday while talking about the Harrodsburg plant’s connection to Apple.

“The products that we make, they impact people’s lives all over the world,” he said. “Nobody can get by without a phone anymore. … We’re going to make devices right here in my hometown. These devices are going to affect people’s lives all over the world.”